Ludachristmas
Encyclopedia
"Ludachristmas" is the ninth episode of the second season
of the television series 30 Rock
and was first broadcast on December 13, 2007 on the NBC
network in the United States. The episode was written by Tami Sagher
and directed by Don Scardino
. Guest stars in this episode include Kevin Brown
, Kay Cannon
, Grizz Chapman
, Anita Gillette
, Selena Gonzalez, Buck Henry
, John Lutz
, John F Mooney, Maulik Pancholy
, Andy Richter
and Elaine Stritch
.
In this episode, Liz Lemon
's (Tina Fey
) family (Anita Gillette
, Buck Henry
, and Andy Richter
) visit her for the holidays and Jack Donaghy
's (Alec Baldwin
) mother, Colleen Donaghy (Elaine Stritch
), also visits him for the holidays. The cast and writers of TGS with Tracy Jordan, a fictional sketch comedy
series, prepare to attend their annual Ludachristmas party. Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) is ordered by a court to wear an alcohol monitoring device.
is Liz's family, including her brother Mitch who has "Trauma Induced Nivea Aphasia" which means that his memory is stuck on December 7, 1985 and he believes that he is still 17 years old, when he is actually 40. Jack's mother immediately dislikes the Lemons due to their constant optimism and happiness. Colleen sets out to show Jack that they're just as screwed up as their relationship is. Jack, Colleen and the Lemons spend the day together and eventually end up going to dinner with each other. At the dinner, Colleen comments that it appears that Liz is the "favorite" child leading Mitch to reveal that his parents, Dick and Margaret, took him to see The Goonies
in 1985 when they should have been watching Liz at her football game. Liz then accidentally reveals to Mitch that he is in fact 40 years old. The Lemons then spiral into a drunken argument, achieving Colleen's plan.
Meanwhile, the cast and writers of TGS are preparing their annual Ludachristmas party in the writer's room. Tracy is annoyed because he is unable to attend due to a recent order from a courtroom judge which requires him to wear an alcohol monitoring ankle bracelet. Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) is also annoyed because he believes that none of the staff know what the true meaning of Christmas is. He cancels Ludachristmas and makes the staff sit through a talk, led by himself and Reverend Gary (John F Mooney), about the meaning of Christmas. This inspires the cast and writers to run outside of 30 Rock and tear down the big Christmas tree which is outside the building. Kenneth eventually stops their efforts and Tracy reveals that he has been drinking alcohol when he should not have been.
The episode ends with the TGS cast and crew celebrating christmas with each other and while at the dinner with the Lemons who are still arguing Jack says to Colleen "Merry Christmas Mother" revealing that he's happy to see the Lemons aren't so perfect after all.
The storyline in this episode, which features Tracy having to wear an ankle bracelet to monitor alcohol levels in his sweat due to a driving under the influence
arrest, is based on events which actually happened to actor Tracy Morgan, who portrays Tracy Jordan. Morgan has twice been arrested for drunk driving: once in December 2005 and once in November 2006. He was sentenced to 36 months probation, fined US$390, and mandated to attend an alcohol education program at the 2005 arrest. As a result of the 2006 arrest, Morgan was fined US$1000 and had his drivers license suspended for six months. Morgan was also ordered to wear a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM), "an ankle bracelet worn to test for alcohol vapors that come out of the skin".
NBC billed this episode on its press releases as "Episode 209". The episode had been unofficially titled "Ludachristmas", until it was confirmed by the second season DVD. Similarly, the following episode also remains unnamed and is officially known as "Episode 210
".
Kay Cannon
, a writer for 30 Rock, appears in this episode as a Human Table at the Ludachristmas party. Cannon previously appeared as an unnamed wife character in "Fireworks
", an episode of the first season
. Cannon co-wrote "The Head and the Hair", an episode of the first season, and "Somebody to Love
", an episode of the second season. Both episodes were co-written with the series creator, Tina Fey.
's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
episode "Lying Down With Dogs" for first place among men aged 18–49. Elaine Stritch, who made a guest appearance in this episode as Colleen Donaghy, was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
.
Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Guide
wrote that "it's hard to make a 'true meaning of Christmas' story seem fresh. That's why this week's Kenneth/No LudaChristmas bit was a bit lame, in my opinion", although he did say "the A story [featuring Jack and Liz's respective families] fared a bit better". Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad thought that this episode was "a modern, irreverent look at [Christmas]". Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly
thought that Buck Henry and Andy Richter were both "destined to play" their roles. He also wrote that "[Elaine] Stritch wasn't as brilliant as she's been in previous appearances, but she's always welcome, simply because her character riles Jack." Robert Canning of IGN
wrote that this episode "had all the trimmings for a holiday classic, though it fell just shy of that pantheon." He added that "this may not have been the 30 Rock holiday classic people were hoping for, but it was a solid, funny episode nonetheless." Canning rated this episode 8 out of 10.
30 Rock (season 2)
The second season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, originally aired between October 4, 2007 and May 8, 2008 on NBC in the United States. 30 Rock takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name refers to 30 Rockefeller...
of the television series 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
and was first broadcast on December 13, 2007 on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network in the United States. The episode was written by Tami Sagher
Tami Sagher
Tami Sagher is an American television producer and writer and actress. Some of her most notable work includes: 30 Rock, Psych and Madtv. She has recently become a staff writer on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother....
and directed by Don Scardino
Don Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
. Guest stars in this episode include Kevin Brown
Kevin Brown (actor)
Kevin 'Dot Com' Brown is an American comedian, film and television actor, best known for his role on the series 30 Rock as "Dot Com".Brown also appeared as the lead in Marq Overton's one-man play Die Laughing in 2008 at the Diversity Players of Harlem and as an actor and executive producer of the...
, Kay Cannon
Kay Cannon
Kay Cannon is an American television writer and actress who is best known for her work as an Emmy nominated writer and producer for the NBC series 30 Rock.-Biography:...
, Grizz Chapman
Grizz Chapman
Grizzwald "Grizz" Chapman is an American television actor best known for his recurring role as Grizz on the NBC series 30 Rock. A June 2007 interview with rollingout.com lists Chapman's height as 6'10". In his commentary for the episode "Tracy Does Conan," Tracy Morgan revealed that they met when...
, Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette is an American actress, most notable for her work on Broadway and as a celebrity guest on various game shows....
, Selena Gonzalez, Buck Henry
Buck Henry
Henry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
, John Lutz
John Lutz (television writer)
John Lutz is an American actor, writer and comedian.-Biography:The son of a Lutheran minister, Lutz grew up in suburban Chicago and Detroit. He attended Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, majoring in psychology and minoring in...
, John F Mooney, Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Sanjay on Weeds from 2005 to present, and his role as Jonathan on 30 Rock, which he has played since the show began in 2006....
, Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
and Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist. She has appeared in numerous stage plays and musicals, feature films, and many television programs...
.
In this episode, Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
's (Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) family (Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette is an American actress, most notable for her work on Broadway and as a celebrity guest on various game shows....
, Buck Henry
Buck Henry
Henry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
, and Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
) visit her for the holidays and Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
's (Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) mother, Colleen Donaghy (Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist. She has appeared in numerous stage plays and musicals, feature films, and many television programs...
), also visits him for the holidays. The cast and writers of TGS with Tracy Jordan, a fictional sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
series, prepare to attend their annual Ludachristmas party. Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
) is ordered by a court to wear an alcohol monitoring device.
Plot
Jack is delighted when he thinks his mother, Colleen, is unable to visit him for the holidays due to her flight from Florida being grounded by Hurricane Zapato. Unexpectedly, Colleen arrives because she was able to travel by bus to Atlanta and get a flight from there. Also arriving at 30 Rockefeller PlazaGE Building
The GE Building is an Art Deco skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the midtown Manhattan section of New York City. Known as the RCA Building until 1988, it is most famous for housing the headquarters of the television network NBC...
is Liz's family, including her brother Mitch who has "Trauma Induced Nivea Aphasia" which means that his memory is stuck on December 7, 1985 and he believes that he is still 17 years old, when he is actually 40. Jack's mother immediately dislikes the Lemons due to their constant optimism and happiness. Colleen sets out to show Jack that they're just as screwed up as their relationship is. Jack, Colleen and the Lemons spend the day together and eventually end up going to dinner with each other. At the dinner, Colleen comments that it appears that Liz is the "favorite" child leading Mitch to reveal that his parents, Dick and Margaret, took him to see The Goonies
The Goonies
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure-comedy film directed by Richard Donner. The screenplay was written by Chris Columbus from a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. The premise surrounds a band of pre-teens who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon hoping to save...
in 1985 when they should have been watching Liz at her football game. Liz then accidentally reveals to Mitch that he is in fact 40 years old. The Lemons then spiral into a drunken argument, achieving Colleen's plan.
Meanwhile, the cast and writers of TGS are preparing their annual Ludachristmas party in the writer's room. Tracy is annoyed because he is unable to attend due to a recent order from a courtroom judge which requires him to wear an alcohol monitoring ankle bracelet. Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Ellen Parcell is a fictional character in the comedy television series 30 Rock. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot" on October 10, 2006...
(Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
) is also annoyed because he believes that none of the staff know what the true meaning of Christmas is. He cancels Ludachristmas and makes the staff sit through a talk, led by himself and Reverend Gary (John F Mooney), about the meaning of Christmas. This inspires the cast and writers to run outside of 30 Rock and tear down the big Christmas tree which is outside the building. Kenneth eventually stops their efforts and Tracy reveals that he has been drinking alcohol when he should not have been.
The episode ends with the TGS cast and crew celebrating christmas with each other and while at the dinner with the Lemons who are still arguing Jack says to Colleen "Merry Christmas Mother" revealing that he's happy to see the Lemons aren't so perfect after all.
Production
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
arrest, is based on events which actually happened to actor Tracy Morgan, who portrays Tracy Jordan. Morgan has twice been arrested for drunk driving: once in December 2005 and once in November 2006. He was sentenced to 36 months probation, fined US$390, and mandated to attend an alcohol education program at the 2005 arrest. As a result of the 2006 arrest, Morgan was fined US$1000 and had his drivers license suspended for six months. Morgan was also ordered to wear a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM), "an ankle bracelet worn to test for alcohol vapors that come out of the skin".
NBC billed this episode on its press releases as "Episode 209". The episode had been unofficially titled "Ludachristmas", until it was confirmed by the second season DVD. Similarly, the following episode also remains unnamed and is officially known as "Episode 210
Episode 210
The untitled tenth episode of the second season of the television series 30 Rock was first broadcast in the United States on January 10, 2008, on the NBC network. The episode was written by show runner Robert Carlock and Donald Glover, and was directed by Richard Shepard...
".
Kay Cannon
Kay Cannon
Kay Cannon is an American television writer and actress who is best known for her work as an Emmy nominated writer and producer for the NBC series 30 Rock.-Biography:...
, a writer for 30 Rock, appears in this episode as a Human Table at the Ludachristmas party. Cannon previously appeared as an unnamed wife character in "Fireworks
Fireworks (30 Rock)
"Fireworks" is the eighteenth episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by two of the season's co-executive producers Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, and it was directed by Beth McCarthy. It first aired on April 5, 2007 in the United States...
", an episode of the first season
30 Rock (season 1)
The first season of the television comedy series 30 Rock originally aired between October 11, 2006 and April 26, 2007 on NBC in the United States...
. Cannon co-wrote "The Head and the Hair", an episode of the first season, and "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (30 Rock)
"Somebody to Love" is the sixth episode of the second season of 30 Rock, and the twenty-seventh episode overall. It was written by Kay Cannon and the series' creator, Tina Fey, and was directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode first aired on November 15, 2007 on the NBC network in the United States...
", an episode of the second season. Both episodes were co-written with the series creator, Tina Fey.
Reception
The episode brought in an average 5.6 million American viewers upon its original broadcast in the United States, achieving a 2.8/7 in the key 18–49 year old demographic. The 2.8 refers to 2.8% of all people of ages 18–49 years old, and the 7 refers to 7% of all people of ages 18–49 years old watching television at the time of the broadcast. It ranked second place in the 18–49 demographic and tied with CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
episode "Lying Down With Dogs" for first place among men aged 18–49. Elaine Stritch, who made a guest appearance in this episode as Colleen Donaghy, was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Comedy Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.-1970s:Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series...
.
Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
wrote that "it's hard to make a 'true meaning of Christmas' story seem fresh. That's why this week's Kenneth/No LudaChristmas bit was a bit lame, in my opinion", although he did say "the A story [featuring Jack and Liz's respective families] fared a bit better". Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone is an American writer. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Italian and Portuguese parents. He is the youngest of seven children....
of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's TV Squad thought that this episode was "a modern, irreverent look at [Christmas]". Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
thought that Buck Henry and Andy Richter were both "destined to play" their roles. He also wrote that "[Elaine] Stritch wasn't as brilliant as she's been in previous appearances, but she's always welcome, simply because her character riles Jack." Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote that this episode "had all the trimmings for a holiday classic, though it fell just shy of that pantheon." He added that "this may not have been the 30 Rock holiday classic people were hoping for, but it was a solid, funny episode nonetheless." Canning rated this episode 8 out of 10.